Rotary engine



(No Model.) D. CAR SKADEN.

ROTARY ENGINE.

Patented Apr. 11, 189.3.

o'raurnm WASHINGTON u. c.

rrnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DELOS CARSKADEN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ROTARY ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 495,451, dated April11, 1893,

Application filed June 6, 1892. Serial No. 435,731. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, DELOS OARSKADEN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Ohicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Engines, of whichthe following is a full,clear, and exact specification.

My invention relates to rotary engines, and more particularly it hasreference to improvements in the abutment or head-block usually employedin that class of engines in which the hub carrying the pistons, and theouter cylinder or housing are arranged concentrically, the head-blockbeing fixed to one of said concentric portions and working in an annularsteam space or groove formed in the other. v

A well known difficulty with rotary engines, is that the expansion ofthe hub or of the cylinder, one with relation to the other, or radialmovement of these parts with relation to one another, due to any othercause, as the reduction of the journals by wear,causes the abutment orhead-block to bind in the annular steam space or groove, and set upexcessive friction, producing torsional strain between the parts, and attimes rendering the headblock or abutment itself, the sole support forthe hub or other rotary part in which the annular steam space is formed.Heretofore, it has been proposed to overcome such detrimental effectsresulting from this relative movement of the hub and cylinder, bysecuring the head-block or abutment in the annular steam groove orspace, by means of a loose connection, consisting, for example, of fixedpins passing through enlarged holes formed in the head-block; thuspermitting the block to go and come with the hub (in the event theannular steam space is formed in the hub) as the latter contracts orexpands, or otherwise moves transversely of the shaft, relatively to thecylinder or portion to which the head-block is anchored or secured. Thisprior method, however, is only partially effective in overcoming theobjections above cited, and is further objectionable, in that the pinsfor holding the head-block being located in enlarged perforations, areunable to hold the block in the steam space or groove strictlyconcentric therewith, or with the hub, but

permits the block to teeter on the pins, that is, to oscillate, andhence, become even more objectionable than an abutment or headblockwhich is rigidly fixed, because, it being free to oscillate in alldirections, it is subjected to torsional movements or twisting in thesteam space.

The prime object of my invention, therefore, is to confine theindependent movements of the abutment or head-block to a radial ortransverse line, with respect to the hub or the cylinder.

With these ends in view, my invention consists in certain features ofnovelty in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts, bywhich the said objects and certain other objects hereinafter described,are attained, as fully explained with reference to the accompanyingdrawings and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the said drawings,Figure 1, is an end view of a rotary engineembodying my improvements, the cylinder or housing and the base thereofbeing shown in section on the line 1, 1, Fig. 2. Fig.2, is a sectionalview thereof, taken lengthwise of the shaft on the line 2, 2, Fig. 1,portions being broken away. Fig. 3, is a detail sectional view of theheadblock or abutment, taken on the line 3, 3, Fig. 2, looking downward,the holding lug and its bolts being shown in elevation. Fig. 4, is aView similar to Fig. 1, illustrating modified means for holding theabutment or head-block in position, the upper portion, 1, of the engine,being shown; and'Fig. 5, is a detail view of the modified form ofhead-block showing further modifications of the means for holding theblock in position.

Like signs of reference indicate like parts throughout the severalviews.

In the drawings,l have shown my improvements as applied to a duplex ordouble engine, but it will, of course, be understood, that the same areapplicable to a single or any other well known form of rotary engine. Inthe form shown, 1, is the outer cylinder or housing supported on asuitable base, 2, and having at each end an ordinary head, 3, providedwith the usual steam supply and exhaust ports, and through suitablestuffing boxes (not shown) in which heads passes the shaft 4, upon whichis mounted the hub of IOO any suitable or well known construction, butwhich as here shown, consists, of a circular casting, 5, provided inboth faces with an annular steam space or groove, 6, the outer wall ofsuch groove being formed by a number of segments, 7, and-the hub at theside of the groove 6, opposite these segments 7, being provided with theusual steam inlets or ports, 8, having communication with the groove 6through radial ports, 9, formed through the inner wall of such groove.

The hub casting 5, is provided with radial grooves 10, in which arelocated the radially reeiprocatingpistons,12, which are projected acrossthe groove 6, as the hub rotates, in the usual manner, by any suitablemeans. The means herein shown for operating the pistons, 12, in thismanner, consists of an eccentric, 13, fiXed to the end or head 3, andbeing surrounded by an independent ring, 14, in whose inner face areformed rectangularly arranged grooved or ways, 15, as shown in dottedlines in Fig. 1, in which are located sliding shoes or blocks, 16,having suitable sockets or perforations into which engage pins or lugs,17, formed on the inner ends of the pistons 12; thus, causing the ring14 to rotate on the eccentric, 13, and consequently, force the pistonsin and out. However, the means just described for actuating the pistonsI have not claimed herein, as the same constitutes the subject matter ofmy application, Serial No. 437,117, filed June 18, 1892, and it will, ofcourse, be understood, thatany other form of mechanism for imparting areciprocating movement to the pistons, may be employed in connectionwith my invention and without departing from the spirit thereof; and itmay be well toadd, that the particular forms of hub and cylinder orouter casing, have no especial bearing upon my present improvements andmight be altered or varied at will.

In adapting my improved abutment or head-block to an engine of the formdescribed, I locate the head-block or abutment, 18, which iscurved,-within the annular steam groove or space, 6, in the ordinarymanner, and provide the same with a recess or mortise, in which islocated a fixed lug or second block, 19, by means of which the abutmentor headblock is anchored or held from rotating with the hub. The endwalls of the recess or opening in the head-block 18, are parallel, asshown more clearly in Fig. l, and are also arranged parallel with thevertical diameter of the hub; that is to say, at right-angles with thehorizontal diameter of the hub, and the inner block or lug 19, is ofsuch dimensions as to fit snugly against the end walls of the recess inthe block 18, but to leave a slight space between the side-walls,whereby the block will be free to move radially with respect to the hubor shaft of the engine, and at the same time will be held againsttorsional movement in the groove 6, and all binding action of thehead-block heretofore resulting from the twisting thereof in the steamgroove, is prevented.

As a means for securing the lug 19 in place, I provide the same at ornear each end, with a bolt or other rod, 20, which rods pass through thehead of the engine, as shown in Fig. 2, and maybe provided at theirouterends with taps or nuts, 21, bearing against the outer face of the headand serving to bind the lugs 19 firmly in place.

As a modification of the means for holding the abutment or head-block inposition against movement relatively to the huh, I have shown in Fig. 4,the extreme ends of the block formed on parallel lines, passing atright-angles to the horizontal diameter of the hub, and at each end ofthe block I have arranged a lug or stop 22, the ends of which,contiguous to the block, are parallel with the ends of the block andprevent absolutely anytendency of the block to shift lengthwise or totwist or bind in the steam groove, while they freely permit the block tomove in a direction lengthwise of, or parallel with, its own ends. Thelugs, or stops 22, are somewhat narrower than the steam groove 6, so asto permit the transverse movement of the hub, should such take place,and such lugs may be secured in place by means of bolts, 20, similar tothe bolts 20, arranged one at or near each end thereof, and passingthrough the head 3, of the cylinder, and being held therein by means ofany suitable tap or nut, such as the nut 21.

As a still further modification of the means for holding the head-blockin position, and at the same time permitting it to move radially, withreference to the shaft, I employ, as shown in Fig. 5, a block providedwith two parallel slots, 23, so arranged as to be parallel with onediameter of the shaft, and through which project two square studs orlugs, 24:, secured in the head 3, in the manner already described. Withan abutment or head-block thus constructed and arranged, it will be seenthat should the hub 5 expand more rapidly than the head 3, to which theblock is anchored, thus causing the head-block to move on the diametersof the head, 3, or, in other words, transversely of the shaft 4, orshould such a movement of the head-block take place from any othercause, such as the wearing away of the bearings, or packing, throughwhich the shaft passes, the lug 19, or the other means described forholding the block in place, will permit the latter to move outward orinward with the hub,or to remain stationary, while the lug 19, or theother means by which the block is held, moves with the head 3,but, atthe same time, will absolutely prevent one end of the head-block frommoving faster than the other, or destroying the relative arrangement ofsuch block to the lugs or studs, by which it is held or guided.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a rotary engine, the combination of a IIO cylinder and a hub, theone being provided with a steam groove and the other with a fixed lug orlugs projecting into said groove and having edges parallel with onediameter of thehub, an abutment or head block whose diameter is equal tothe diameter or cross section of said steam groove, said head blockhaving two of its edges arranged parallel with each other and fittingagainst the said parallel edges of said lug or lugs, and two other edgesfitting snugly against the walls of the steam groove, substantially asset forth.

2. In a rotary engine, the combination of a cylinder and a hub, the onebeing provided with a steam groove, and the other with a fixed lugprojecting into said groove and having its outer edges formed parallelwith each other and with one diameter of the hub, and a 1101- lowabutment block whose interior end walls are parallel and fit snuglyagainst said parallel edges of the lug, the cross section of said blockbeing equal to the cross section of said groove, substantially as setforth.

3. In a rotary engine, the combination with I DELOS GARSKADEN.

Witnesses:

F. A. HOPKINS, R. O. OMOHUNDRO.

